Valve-tremolo for reed-organs



(No Model.)

L. B. NORTON.

VALVE ,TREMOLO FOR REED ORGANS.

No. 247,099. Patented Sept. 13,1881.

J MVf/VTS S25, fnfwf/v fo/ UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LORENZO B. NORTON, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

VALVE-TREMOLO FOR REED-ORGANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 247,099, datedSeptember 13, 1881.

Application filed January 11, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoRnNzo B. NORTON, of New Haven, in the county ofNew Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented anew, useful, andImproved Valve-Tremolo for Reed- Organs, of which the following is adescription.

Heretofore valve-tremolos for organs have commonly been constructed onthe upper side of the sounding-board, and the air-current from onedivision of the wind-chest passed up through an aperture in thesounding-board, through the tremolo, and down through another aperturein the sounding-board to the other division. Valves have also beenarranged (in the bellows-board to act as tremolos.

My invention consists in making an aperture in the partition whichdivides the windchest, and in the novel construction and arrangement ofa valve to operate in connection with the aperture, as hereinafter setforth. By these means the air-current passes direct from one division ofthe wind-chest to the other, and a better-actin g tremolo is the result.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view of the top or upperside of the sounding-board. Fig. 2 is a view of the under side, showingthe partition which divides the windchest and the valve arranged tooperate in connection with the aperture in the partition. Fig. 3 is across-section of the partition and valve, and Fig. 4 is a side view of apart of the partition, showing the aperture.

' To enable others to make my improved valvetremolo so that it willoperate in the manner contemplated, I will describe it in detail.

A,Fig. 1, is the upper side of the soundingboard in a reed-organ, and,so far as the present invention is concerned, needs no furtherdescription.

Fig. 2 shows the under side of the soundingboard, on which the pieces ab c d are fastened to form the wind-chest. These pieces rest on theupper side of the bellows-board, to which the sounding-board. issecured. The wind- (No model.)

chest thus formed is divided by the partition B into two divisions, Cand D. The wide part of the partition is made of wood and the narrowpart is sheet metal. Through the/wide part the oblon g aperture 0 (shownin Fig. 4: and in section in Fig. 3) is made, and the side of the widepart of the partition next the valve is the valve-seat. In Fig. 2 theopenings or slots in the sounding-board are shown, over which the reedsare placed.

The valve E is a piece of wood three inches long, or of other convenientlength, the crosssection of which is represented in Fig. 3. It is hingedto the under side of the soundingboard by a strip of eambric in a mannerto be self-closing, and its side next the partition has an elasticcovering suitable to close the aperture. The valve and thetriangular-shaped piece m, Fig. 2, are first glued to the cambric, andthe piece at is then glued to the under side of the sounding-board, thecambric being interposed. In Fig. 2 the sounding-board is represented asturned over, and the valveis shown open and resting on the piece m.

The valve being constructed and arranged in connect-ion with theaperture in the partition, as above described, on closing the opening inthe bellows-board in division O, the aircurrent passes directly throughthe aperture to division D, vibrating the valve.

Having described my improved valve-tremolo and the manner of itsoperation, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

A valve-tremolo for reed-organs, consisting of the valve E, hinged tothe under side of the sounding-board, and arranged to operate asdescribed, to close by its own weight over the aperture 0 in thevertical partition of the windchest, so as to be vibrated by anair-current passing through said aperture, substantially as set forth.

' LORENZO B. NORTON. Witnesses:

GEORGE TERRY,

EARL BROWN.

